So I have this cricket problem. They’re eating me out of plant and garden. Voracious little critters, they seem to be able to destroy a pumpkin vine in a matter of days, a helpless little Brussels in a matter of hours. I tried bird netting. But the squares are a bit too big.

Crickets can jump clear through them. Not always on the first try, mind you, but give them enough chances and out they go! Rascals.

So I had to get creative. For my netting, I’ve doubled up. This way, the pattern won’t match up identically and some of the squares will be rendered to triangles and the crickets won’t be able to escape. More importantly, they won’t be able to get in. The hoops are 9 gauge wire cut into pieces that I bend to suit my needs.

But I have another idea. How about burlap? It’s natural, permeable, and the squares are tightly woven.

But not too tightly woven. You can see my little Brussels under there, can’t you?

For those of you concerned about the amount of sunlight able to penetrate, in Florida, my plants can use all the break from the heat they can get. It’s hot down here!

While it may not be the prettiest “look” for the garden, it is functionally sound. My compost tea didn’t hold up too well under the daily sprinkler shower. The garlic powder/hot pepper combo worked for the bunnies, but not the crickets (don’t think they care what the stuff tastes like, so long as it’s green and not theirs, they’ll eat it).